Continuation of the explanation of the statement of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "."

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows: It has previously been established for us that among the matters related to establishing the prayer is the intention, and that it is a condition for the validity of the prayer, and we explained the evidence for this from the Book and the Sunnah. We promised that in this lesson we would speak about what concerns the intention of the imam and following the imam, and with the help of Allah, we are now speaking about that.
The congregation requires an imam and a follower, and the minimum is two: an imam and a follower. The more there are, the more beloved it is to Allah.
It is necessary for the follower to intend to follow the imam, and this is a matter of consensus. That is to say, if you enter a congregation, you must intend to follow the imam with whom you entered. However, as we said yesterday, the intention does not require much effort, because one who comes to the mosque has already intended to follow, and one who says to a person, "Pray with me," has already intended to follow.
As for the imam, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether it is obligatory for him to intend to be an imam or not. Some scholars said that he must intend to be an imam. On this view, if two men come and find a man praying, and they intend for him to be their imam, and they line up behind him while he is unaware of them, but they intend for him to be their imam and follow him, then the one who says that the imam must intend to be an imam says that the prayer of these two men is not valid, because the imam did not intend to be an imam. The one who says that it is not a condition for the imam to intend to be an imam says that the prayer of these two men is valid, because they followed him. The first view is the well-known position of the school of Imam Ahmad, and the second is the school of Imam Malik. They cited as evidence and the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he first entered the prayer, did not intend to be an imam. They also cited as evidence . However, there is no doubt that this second evidence does not prove the point, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to be an imam, but he intended it during the prayer. There is no harm in intending it during the prayer.
In any case, the precaution in this matter is to say: if two men come to a person who is praying, let them notify him that he is their imam. If he remains silent, he has approved of them. If he refuses and gestures with his hand that they should not pray behind him, then they should not pray behind him. This is the most cautious and preferable course of action.
Second: Is it a condition that the prayer of the imam and the prayer of the follower be equal in the type of legitimacy? In the type of legitimacy, meaning: is it valid to pray the obligatory prayer behind one who is praying a voluntary prayer, or to pray a voluntary prayer behind one who is praying the obligatory prayer?
We look into this. As for the person who prays a voluntary prayer behind one who is praying the obligatory prayer, there is no harm in this, there is no harm in this, because the Sunnah indicates this. It is possible that they prayed in their tents because they thought they would not catch the congregational prayer, or for other reasons. So he said that the first is better, or otherwise the second.
The student: The second one.

The Shaykh : The second, because the first resulted in the completion of the obligatory prayer and the discharge of the duty. The second is for you as a voluntary prayer, and you are praying behind one who is praying the obligatory prayer. So if the follower is the one praying the voluntary prayer and the imam is the one praying the obligatory prayer, there is no harm in that, as indicated by this Sunnah.
As for the reverse, if the imam is praying a voluntary prayer and the follower is praying the obligatory prayer, the closest example of this is in the days of Ramadan, if a person enters and has missed the 'Isha' prayer and finds the people praying the tarawih prayer. Does he enter with them intending the 'Isha' prayer, or does he pray the obligatory prayer alone and then join them in the tarawih? This is a point of disagreement among the scholars.
Some said that it is not valid to pray the obligatory prayer behind a voluntary prayer, because the obligatory prayer is higher, and the prayer of the follower cannot be higher than the prayer of the imam. Others said that it is valid to pray the obligatory prayer behind a voluntary prayer, because the Sunnah came with that, and it is . So it is a voluntary prayer for him and an obligatory prayer for them, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not disapprove of it.
If someone says, "Perhaps the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not know," the answer to that is to say: if he knew, then the evidence is complete, because Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) was complained about to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) for lengthening the 'Isha' prayer. It appears, and Allah knows best, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of the whole matter and the whole story. And if it is assumed that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not know that Mu'adh was praying with him and then going to his people to pray with them, then the Lord of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) knew, and He is Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and nothing is hidden from Him on earth or in the heavens. And if Allah knew and did not send down to His Prophet a disapproval of this action, that indicates its permissibility, because Allah the Exalted does not approve of His servants doing anything that is not prescribed for them, absolutely. So the evidence is complete in every case.
So the correct view is that it is permissible for a person to pray the obligatory prayer behind one who is praying a voluntary prayer. The analogy cited as evidence for the prohibition is an analogy in opposition to an explicit text, so it is discarded and invalid and not considered.
So if you come in the days of Ramadan and the people are praying the tarawih prayer, and you have not entered and have not prayed 'Isha', enter with them intending the 'Isha' prayer. Then, if you entered in the first rak'ah, when the imam says the taslim, pray two rak'ahs to complete the four. And if you entered in the second rak'ah, when the imam says the taslim, how many? Three rak'ahs, three rak'ahs, because you prayed one rak'ah with the imam and three remain for you. This is the explicit statement of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, even though his school differs from that, but the explicit statement he personally made is that this is permissible. So now, one who prays an obligatory prayer behind an obligatory prayer...
The student: ...

The Shaykh : An obligatory prayer behind a voluntary prayer.
The student: The prayer is valid.

The Shaykh : There is disagreement. A voluntary prayer behind an obligatory prayer is permissible by unanimous agreement.
The third issue in the type of prayer: Is it a condition that the prayer of the imam and the follower agree in the kind of prayer, meaning Zuhr with Zuhr, 'Asr with 'Asr, and so on, or not?
There is also disagreement in this. Some scholars said it is valid. Some scholars said it is necessary for the two prayers to agree, so one prays Zuhr behind one who is praying Zuhr, and 'Asr behind one who is praying 'Asr, Maghrib behind one who is praying Maghrib, 'Isha' behind one who is praying 'Isha', and Fajr behind one who is praying Fajr, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said .
Some scholars said it is not a condition, so it is permissible to pray 'Asr behind one who is praying Zuhr, or Zuhr behind one who is praying 'Asr, or 'Asr behind one who is praying 'Isha', because following the imam in this case is not affected. And if it is permissible to pray the obligatory prayer behind a voluntary prayer despite the difference in ruling, then a difference in name does not harm. This view is more correct: that it is permissible to pray Zuhr behind one who is praying 'Asr, or 'Asr behind one who is praying Zuhr, or Zuhr behind one who is praying 'Isha'. If a person says, "How can Zuhr be behind one who is praying 'Isha'? How can this be?" We say: Yes, you attended for the 'Isha' prayer after the adhan, and when the iqamah was called, you remembered that you had prayed Zuhr without wudu. This is possible. We say: enter with the imam, pray Zuhr. Your intention is Zuhr, and the imam's intention is 'Isha', and it does not harm. As for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) , it does not mean that you should not differ from him in intention. He said , then he detailed and explained, saying , meaning follow him and do not precede him. This is the meaning of "do not differ from him." The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explain each other. Good.
This research branches into another research. If the two prayers agree in number and form, there is no problem in this. If the two prayers agree in number and form, there is no problem. How? Zuhr behind 'Asr, the number is one and the form is one, there is no problem in this. But if the two prayers differ, such that the prayer of the follower is, for example, two rak'ahs and the imam's is four, or the reverse, or the follower's is three and the imam's is four, or the reverse?
We say that if the prayer of the follower is more, there is no problem. For example, if one prays 'Asr behind one who is praying Maghrib. If one prays 'Asr behind one who is praying Maghrib, like a man who entered the mosque to pray Maghrib, and when the iqamah was called, he remembered that he had prayed 'Asr without wudu. Here, he has the 'Asr prayer upon him. We say: enter with the imam intending the 'Asr prayer, and when the imam says the taslim, you add one to complete the four for you. There is no problem in this.
If the imam’s prayer is longer than the ma’mum’s, we say that if the ma’mum joins the prayer from the second rak’ah or any subsequent one, there is no problem. If he joins in the first rak’ah, then there is a difficulty. Let us give an example: if you come and the imam is praying 'Isha', and this often happens on Fridays, when a person comes from home to the mosque, which is a congregational mosque, for rain or something similar, and he finds them praying 'Isha, but finds that they are in the last two rak'ahs, we say: join them with the intention of Maghrib. Pray the two rak'ahs, and when the imam says the taslim, you add one rak'ah. There is no problem with this.
Now, if you come and find them praying 'Isha, but they are in the second rak'ah, join them with the intention of Maghrib and say the taslim with the imam. This does not harm you, because you have neither added nor subtracted. This is also without problem, though some people see a difficulty here, but in reality there is no difficulty. Some people say: if you join him in the second rak'ah and then sit in the imam’s second rak'ah, which is your first, you would be sitting in your first rak'ah for the tashahhud. We say: this does not harm you. Are you not like one who joins the imam in the second rak'ah of the Zuhr prayer? The imam will sit for the tashahhud, and it is your first. This is the same thing; there is no difficulty. The difficulty arises if you come to the mosque and find them praying 'Isha in the first rak'ah, and you join them in the first rak'ah. In that case, you will pray three rak'ahs with the imam, and the imam will stand for the fourth. He will stand for the fourth. What do you do? If you stand with him, you have added a rak'ah. You would have prayed four, but Maghrib is three, not four. And if you sit, you have fallen behind the imam. What do you do? Yes, what do you do? We say: sit. If you intend to combine the prayers, intend to separate from the imam. Recite the tashahhud and say the taslim, then join the imam in the remainder of the 'Isha prayer, because you can catch up with it. But if you do not intend to combine, or if you are among those who are not permitted to combine, then in this case you have a choice. If you wish, sit for the tashahhud and wait for the imam to complete the rak'ah, perform the tashahhud, and say the taslim with him. Or if you wish, intend to pray alone, perform the tashahhud, and say the taslim. This is what we have mentioned, and it is the stronger opinion, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).
The intention to pray alone here is out of necessity, because a person cannot add to Maghrib beyond three rak'ahs. So your sitting is for the sake of necessity, separating for a legal necessity, and there is no harm in this. May Allah grant success.